Now this is fun – the U.S.A. Song Map is a vintage looking map of the country created entirely out of over 1,000 song titles! The titles reference states, cities, rivers, mountains, and landmarks and include classics like Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd) and Empire State of Mind (Jay-Z and Alicia Keys) to more obscure references that really make you think. The 4-color litho is printed on 120gsm uncoated art paper, measures 80cm x 60cm and features an A-Z key.

It seems especially appropriate to share the work of Mark Wagner today of all days, mid-term Election Day here in the United States. Wagner uses deconstructed US dollars to create intricately designed collages that open up a dialogue about the nature of money, man’s obsession with wealth, and our attempts to harness finances through economics.

Wagner destroys thousands of bills yearly to create works which pointedly and playfully explore the intersection of wealth, power, value, and American identity. Wagner’s audacious (and unlawful) destruction of this revered icon of American commerce is checked only by his virtuoso material manipulation, which renders what you will… portraits, plant life, fantastical beasts, or allegorical scenes recasting George Washington in every roll.

Los Angeles-based Miles McGregor – aka El Mac – is a very talented guy and I’m blown away by his outdoor aerosol murals that have been commissioned around the world.

He began painting both smaller indoor works as well as public murals and graffiti in the mid ’90s, and since that time has developed his unique visual aesthetic and rendering style which utilizes repeating contour patterns. His work draws on influences from classical European art, social realism, symbolism and devotional art, as well as the Chicano and Mexican culture he grew up around. He is best known for his meticulous paintings and large-scale murals exploring feminine beauty and honoring ordinary, overlooked, or marginalized people.

Katie McCann‘s intricately cut and pieced together collages appear to be antique, vintage, and forgotten though they’re far from it. The creatures she creates are from a childhood world of faeries, witches, science fiction, and botany living in their own unique habitat. I’d rather like to have a conversation with each of them.

Los Angeles-based artist Dessie Jackson rotates between using mixed media, painting, and paper to create her wildly expressive portraits. With a swoosh of paint around the eyes or a whirlwind of color around a mouth, Jackson turns the everyday into the questionably extraordinary.

Lisa Vanin‘s paintings combine the natural world with a touch of the macabre, usually through the presence of a snake or a skull or three. Each piece sets a melancholy tone that leaves me wondering more about the circumstances surrounding it all. Don’t miss Vanin’s (super affordable) ceramic snakes or metal pins either.

Dumpster diving has really paid off for Seattle-based artist Isobelle Ouzman. She takes books that others have discarded and creates scenes for viewers to dive right into, whether they’re looking for a dark nightscape or a fantastical escape.

Texas-based artist Adrian Landon Brooks works predominately in painting and illustration, using found materials like wood, metal, and old photographs as his canvas to create otherworldly backdrops for mystical iconography. His main intention is to show love, loss, and redemption – themes than transcend all else.

Seoul-based illustrator Lee.K relies on pencil, ink, and charcoal to bring his portraits to life in a flurry of motion. Heavy strokes with the side of a piece of charcoal serve as a backdrop for more detailed features that are brought to life with crosshatching and dynamic flourishes, making every piece feel like it’s full of stored energy.